Women’s Health: Monthly Madness

Natural Cures for PMS

By Sidney Stevens

Ah, the beautiful cycles of womanhood. Seven days before your period, you bloat up like an inner tube. Your breast swell and turn untouchably tender. At the slightest provocation you swing wildly from tears to irritability. While you may feel like grabbing for the medicine cabinet (or the nearest throat), it’s important to know that there are natural options out there. It’s crucial, however, to sort through the hype and devise an anti-PMS regimen that’s right for you.

Pre-menstrual syndrome is actually a collection of about 150 symptoms that affect 30% to 50% of women. Symptoms can include depression, tension, anger, lethargy, insomnia, weight gain, headaches, increased appetite, joint pain and difficulty concentrating. Though the phenomenon is not fully understood, many believe PMS is too little progesterone during the second half of the menstrual cycle (the 14 days between ovulation and the start of your period).

Unfortunately, PMS was for many years treated as merely psychological – so much female whining. And in the last 10 years (the Ibuprofen decade), the mainstream medical approach has switched to treating the problem symptom-by-symptom. The result? Millions of women get no relief, or worse, the wrong kind of relief. As Christiane Northrup, M.D., notes in her book Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom, “Treating a woman’s bloating with diuretics, her headaches with painkillers, and her anxiety with Valium often serves to create new side effects from the drugs themselves and ignores the underlying imbalances that led to PMS in the first place.”

Such thinking is part of a movement toward a more whole-body approach to PMS treatment, one which includes exercise, relaxation, dietary changes (reducing intake of caffeine, meat, and dairy, for instance), and natural remedies that decrease or eliminate PMS symptoms. Michael T. Murray, ND and author recommends starting with a high-potency multivitamin, an essential fatty acid supplement, and gentle herbs for relieving specific symptoms. The following guide should help you get started.

Vitamins and Minerals

You’re producing too much estrogen, so you need nutrients to help the liver flush out the excess and promote hormonal balance. Try the following, either in multivitamin form or individually:

Magnesium. Women with PMS are commonly deficient in this nutrient. Experts recommend between 400 and 800 mg daily, to reduce nervousness, breast tenderness, and weight gain.

Calcium. To balance the effects of magnesium, improve mood, and reduce water retention, take between 300 and 400 mg daily.

B Vitamins. Make sure to include B-complex vitamins in your regimen, particularly B6 (pyroxidine). Evidence suggest that B6 not only helps magnesium accumulate in your body’s cells, but it also helps balance hormonal levels. Experts recommend 50 to 100 mg of B6.

Vitamin E. One study at John Hopkins University Medical School found that PMS symptoms, such as tension, headache, fatigue, depression and insomnia decreased by as much as 25% to 50% among women who took vitamin E. The recommended daily dosage is 400 to 800 IU.

Essential Fatty Acids

Without a proper balance of Omega-6 and Omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs), the body can’t function properly. Up to 80% of the population are believed to be deficient in some or all of these “good fats.” Women with PMS are no exception. Specifically, most PMS sufferers have low levels of gamma-linoleic acid (GLA), an omega-6 EFA and a potent anti-inflammatory agent.

Evening Primrose Oil is a good source of GLA. British studies show that its regular use eliminates or reduces premenstrual symptoms, including moodiness and breast tenderness, in nearly 90% of women. Other good GLA sources are black currant and borage oils. Take one 500 – 1000 mg softgel capsule of evening primrose oil or two 500 mg capsules of balck currant or borage oil, two times a day with full glass of water and preferably after a meal. You may not notice any relief from PMS symptoms for up to six weeks, so be patient.

Herbal Remedies

Modern medicine has begun to recognize what healers have known for centuries – herbs can diminish or alleviate even the most severe PMS symptoms. Taken in normal dosages, none of the herbs below should produce significant side effects – though you should pay attention to your own sensitivities and cut back on any herb which seems to trigger a negative reaction. And if you are pregnant, you should never take herbs without checking with a doctor, midwife, and / or herbalist.

Chaste Berry. Also called Vitex, chaste berries have been used to treat menstrual problems for more than 2, 000 years and may be particularly beneficial in righting estrogen-progesterone imbalances. German physicians began prescribing Vitex for PMS after European studies revealed that 90% of women reported relief of symptoms after taking it an average of 166 days. Start with two capsules daily and allow two months to assess its effectiveness.

Dong Quai (Angelica). This traditional Chinese tonic enhances energy and generally tones the female reproductive system. It’s also effective against cramps, a condition sometimes called dysmenorrheal, which is not related to PMS. Try two capsules, two teaspoons of tincture in water, or two cups of tea three times daily during the second half of your menstrual cycle. May cause sensitivity to the sun in some individuals.

Black Cohosh. Though it’s used more often for treating menopausal symptoms, black cohosh also relieves cramps and PMS related bloating, depression, and tension. Excess use can cause nausea or vomiting.

Licorice Root. Like chaste berry, ancient healers used this root for a host of female disorders. Modern-day healers recommend it for reducing water retention and balancing estrogen-to-progesterone ratios. Available in tea or capsule form, take it up to three times daily during the second half of your cycle. Excess use may cause water and sodium retention, or high blood pressure in some individuals.

Natural Progesterone

Although the treatment is controversial, healthcare providers sometimes recommend extra progesterone to right PMS-related hormonal imbalances. Northrup advises trying this route only if lifestyle and dietary changes don’t help, or if you have severe PMS that dramatically alters your personality moods.

If you decide on progesterone, make sure it’s a natural form and the synthetic kind, which can cause bloating, headaches, and other side effects. Oral natural progesterone is available by prescription. Also popular are over-the–counter skin creams. Beware, however, of creams synthesize from wild Mexican yams that don’t contain natural progesterone.

Apply one-quarter to one-half teaspoon on the soft areas of your skin (abdomen, breast, neck, inner arms, or hands) two times a day, beginning right before ovulation or before PMS symptoms typically appear. Continue using it through the first day of your period. Don’t expect immediate results; it can take up to three months for PMS symptoms to abate.

Whatever you choose, respect your own physical reactions. Each woman’s body has its own quirks. Remember, treat the system, not the symptom. With patience a gentler regimen may pay off for you – easing the pain of PMS the natural way.

Consumer Alert: 10 Things the Food Industry Doesn't Want You to Know

By Adam Voiland

Two nutrition experts argue that you can't take marketing campaigns at face value

With America's obesity problem among kids reaching crisis proportions, even junk food makers have started to claim they want to steer children toward more healthful choices. In a study released earlier this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that about 32 percent of children were overweight but not obese, 16 percent were obese, and 11 percent were extremely obese. Food giant PepsiCo, for example, points out on its website that "we can play an important role in helping kids lead healthier lives by offering healthy product choices in schools." The company highlights what it considers its healthier products within various food categories through a "Smart Spot" marketing campaign that features green symbols on packaging. PepsiCo's inclusive criteria--explained here--award spots to foods of dubious nutritional value such as Diet Pepsi, Cap'n Crunch cereal, reduced-fat Doritos, and Cheetos, as well as to more nutritious products such as Quaker Oatmeal and Tropicana Orange Juice.

But are wellness initiatives like Smart Spot just marketing ploys? Such moves by the food industry may seem to be a step in the right direction, but ultimately makers of popular junk foods have an obligation to stockholders to encourage kids to eat more--not less--of the foods that fuel their profits, says David Ludwig, a pediatrician and the co-author of a commentary published in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association that raises questions about whether big food companies can be trusted to help combat obesity. Ludwig and article co-author Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition at New York University, both of whom have long histories of tracking the food industry, spoke with U.S. News and highlighted 10 things that junk food makers don't want you to know about their products and how they promote them.

1. Junk food makers spend billions advertising unhealthy foods to kids.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, food makers spend some $1.6 billion annually to reach children through the traditional media as well the Internet, in-store advertising, and sweepstakes. An article published in 2006 in the Journal of Public Health Policy puts the number as high as $10 billion annually. Promotions often use cartoon characters or free giveaways to entice kids into the junk food fold. PepsiCo has pledged that it will advertise only "Smart Spot" products to children under 12.

2. The studies that food producers support tend to minimize health concerns associated with their products.
In fact, according to a review led by Ludwig of hundreds of studies that looked at the health effects of milk, juice, and soda, the likelihood of conclusions favorable to the industry was several times higher among industry-sponsored research than studies that received no industry funding. "If a study is funded by the industry, it may be closer to advertising than science," he says.

3. Junk food makers donate large sums of money to professional nutrition associations.
The American Dietetic Association, for example, accepts money from companies such as Coca-Cola, which get access to decision makers in the food and nutrition marketplace via ADA events and programs, as this release explains. As Nestle notes in her blog and discusses at length in her book Food Politics, the group even distributes nutritional fact sheets that are directly sponsored by specific industry groups. This one, for example, which is sponsored by an industry group that promotes lamb, rather unsurprisingly touts the nutritional benefits of lamb. The ADA's reasoning: "These collaborations take place with the understanding that ADA does not support any program or message that does not correspond with ADA's science-based healthful-eating messages and positions," according to the group's president, dietitian Martin Yadrick. "In fact, we think it's important for us to be at the same table with food companies because of the positive influence that we can have on them."

4. More processing means more profits, but typically makes the food less healthy.
Minimally processed foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables obviously aren't where food companies look for profits. The big bucks stem from turning government-subsidized commodity crops--mainly corn, wheat, and soybeans--into fast foods, snack foods, and beverages. High-profit products derived from these commodity crops are generally high in calories and low in nutritional value.

5. Less-processed foods are generally more satiating than their highly processed counterparts.
Fresh apples have an abundance of fiber and nutrients that are lost when they are processed into applesauce. And the added sugar or other sweeteners increase the number of calories without necessarily making the applesauce any more filling. Apple juice, which is even more processed, has had almost all of the fiber and nutrients stripped out. This same stripping out of nutrients, says Ludwig, happens with highly refined white bread compared with stone-ground whole wheat bread.

6. Many supposedly healthy replacement foods are hardly healthier than the foods they replace.
In 2006, for example, major beverage makers agreed to remove sugary sodas from school vending machines. But the industry mounted an intense lobbying effort that persuaded lawmakers to allow sports drinks and vitamin waters that--despite their slightly healthier reputations--still can be packed with sugar and calories.

7. A health claim on the label doesn't necessarily make a food healthy.
Health claims such as "zero trans fats" or "contains whole wheat" may create the false impression that a product is healthy when it's not. While the claims may be true, a product is not going to benefit your kid's health if it's also loaded with salt and sugar or saturated fat, say, and lacks fiber or other nutrients. "These claims are calorie distracters," adds Nestle. "They make people forget about the calories." Dave DeCecco, a spokesperson for PepsiCo, counters that the intent of a labeling program such as Smart Spot is simply to help consumers pick a healthier choice within a category. "We're not trying to tell people that a bag of Doritos is healthier than asparagus. But, if you're buying chips, and you're busy, and you don't have a lot of time to read every part of the label, it's an easy way to make a smarter choice," he says.

8. Food industry pressure has made nutritional guidelines confusing.
As Nestle explained in Food Politics, the food industry has a history of preferring scientific jargon to straight talk. As far back as 1977, public health officials attempted to include the advice "reduce consumption of meat" in an important report called Dietary Goals for the United States. The report's authors capitulated to intense pushback from the cattle industry and used this less-direct and more ambiguous advice: "Choose meats, poultry, and fish which will reduce saturated fat intake." Overall, says Nestle, the government has a hard time suggesting that people eat less of anything.

9. The food industry funds front groups that fight antiobesity public health initiatives.
Unless you follow politics closely, you wouldn't necessarily realize that a group with a name like the Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) has anything to do with the food industry. In fact,Ludwig and Nestle point out, this group lobbies aggressively against obesity-related public health campaigns--such as the one directed at removing junk food from schools--and is funded, according to the Center for Media and Democracy, primarily through donations from big food companies such as Coca-Cola, Cargill, Tyson Foods, and Wendy's.

10. The food industry works aggressively to discredit its critics.
According to the new JAMA article, the Center for Consumer Freedom boasts that "[our strategy] is to shoot the messenger. We've got to attack [activists'] credibility as spokespersons." Here's the group's entry on Marion Nestle.

The bottom line, says Nestle, is quite simple: Kids need to eat less, include more fruits and vegetables, and limit the junk food.

Source: Yahoo Health

Medical Tourism in the Philippines: An answer to financial crisis?

from wowphilippines.mydigest.info

At first, it seems strange how fouled up mortgage deals in the United States have set in motion what some experts are calling “the worst financial crisis in the US since the Depression of the 1930s.” Considering our globally interconnected economies, however, that’s also bad news for the Philippines. One big local insurance company has already been affected, and the media has already reported on possible effects on our call centers.

On the level of our households and personal finances, we’re all starting to feel the financial pinch: prices of basic commodities are going up and our purchasing power seems to shrink by the day. One news website report estimates that as many as 50, 000 OFWs could be affected as the world economy slows down.

What can we and the government do about this?

On October 22-25, 2008, however, a ray of hope present itself in “Embracing Health and Wellness in the Heart of Asia,” touted as the biggest medical tourism and wellness summit in Asia, to be held at Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila. The summit is hosted by Department of Tourism and supported by key government and industry players.

“Embracing Health and Wellness in the Heart of Asia” brings together government policy and major players in the medical, health and wellness sectors. They will present how the Philippines can reap the economic and social benefits of being a major player in the globalization of health care in the 21st century.

So what’s the connection between the medical tourism and the Philippines economic salvation? In the same way that bad housing loans in the US can affect our finances here, the rising cost of health care in the United States, Europe and other Asian countries just might actually spell good news for the Philippines.

Optimism

The Department of Tourism is very optimistic over the prospects of the Philippines as the next hub of medical tourism and wellness in Asia. DOT Undersecretary for Sports and Wellness Cynthia Carrion said that the upcoming DOT-sponsored medical tourism and wellness summit, dubbed as “Embracing Health and Wellness in the Heart of Asia,” will showcase the qualities that makes the Philippines the ideal destination for medical tourism, health and wellness.

“Embracing Health and Wellness in the Heart of Asia” gathers together leaders, experts and policy-makers in the international and local health care and wellness sectors who will give crucial information on how to reduce risk and maximize gains in the globalized 21st health care arena.

Carrion said that a report titled “Medical Tourism Economic Report” by the Medical Tourism Association Magazine cited the Philippines for having all the ingredients for building a sustainable international medical tourism industry and culture.

“The authors of the report, experts David G. Vequist, IV and Erika Valdez, wrote, ‘the Philippines has many opportunities to take advantage of the estimated $40 billion medical tourism industry. For this country, 700, 000 medical tourist and the $2 billion annually seems very achievable in the near future.’ That alone already shows us that industry experts are looking seriously at the Philippines as a major player in global medical tourism. In the summit, the DOT has gathered together, 16 international speakers, all leaders in their fields, to share with summit delegates their insights about how to achieve true health and wellness. Furthermore, these experts will present how truly excellent, modern and world class the Philippine health care system is; and how we can be a mecca of well-being and healing for the world,” said Carrion.

Billion-dollar Industry

Why is the Philippine government backing a national campaign to turn the country into a hub of medical and wellness tourism? First of all, let’s get an overview.

According to the report “2008 Survey of Health Care Consumers” by top research firm Deloitte (through their Deloitte Center for Health Solutions) some 750, 000 US citizens traveled abroad to get medical care. That number is expected to reach a whopping 6 million by 2010.

Now how does that translate in revenues? The Deloitte report states that Americans spent $2.1 billion for medical care overseas in 2007. By 2010, that amount is projected to balloon to as much as $79.5 billion in 2010.

Why are the Americans spending these amounts to get medical and / or wellness treatments abroad? Simply because it would cost them so much more if they avail of such treatments in the United States.

Office for Special Concerns – DOH

Note that the price difference between a medical treatment in the US and the same treatment as offered here in the Philippines is at 50% or more. This means huge savings for foreign patients and corporations who opt to go to the Philippines for medical procedures.

Also, take note that the nearly $80 billion projected revenues from medical tourism is generated only by the US market, still excluding potential revenues from Europe and Asia.

So the question now is this: Will the Philippines be able to get its share of this very lucrative trend in global health care?

Meeting Challenges

What would give a medical tourist enough incentive and confidence to leave his well-being in the hands of foreigners? The answer seem obvious but let’s have Deloitte report tell us:

“Outbound [from the US] medical tourism is expected to experience explosive growth over the next three to five years. Consider the following:

Health care costs are increasing at eight percent per year – well above the Consumer Price Index (CPI) thus eating into corporate profits and household disposable income.

The safety and quality of care available in many offshore settings is no longer an issue: Organizations including the Joint Commission International (JCI) and others are accrediting these facilities.

Consumers are willing to travel to obtain care that is both safe and less costly. In fact, two in five respondents [Deloitte’s 2008 Survey of Health Consumers included more than 3, 000 Americans in the study] said they would be interested in pursuing treatments abroad if quality was comparable and the savings were 50% or more.

From the Deloitte Study, we can see the factors like lower cost, patient safety and health care of “comparable” quality to their home countries are the top considerations for medical tourists when choosing where to get treatments abroad.

According to Calibo, the Philippines today meets all those criteria., He cited the so called Centers of Excellence, which include the country’s top hospitals that have been approved for medical tourism by the government. Of these hospitals, two are already accredited by the Joint Commission International: St. Luke’s Medical Center and the Medical City.

Other Centers of Excellence include the Makati Medical Center, Asian Hospital and Medical Center; Capitol Medical Center; Manila Doctors Hospital; University of Santo Tomas Hospital; Cardinal Santos Medical Center.

Then there are the world-class specialized medical centers including the Philippine Heart Center; Lung Center of the Philippines and National Kidney and Transplant Institute.

Calibo said that these hospitals are more than capable of giving more than comparable care to overseas patients. In fact these hospitals already have International Patient Centers and are routinely admitting patients from overseas all of whom receive safe, modern, high-tech, world-class quality treatments and care.

Calibo also pointed out that Filipino health and wellness professionals themselves make all the difference for the success of medical tourism in the Philippines.

“Filipino health and wellness professionals are extremely competent, highly-skilled, well-trained, fluent in English and have received postgraduate training in the US, Canada, Europe, Australia and Japan. Furthermore, Filipinos are the most compassionate, caring professionals in Asia,” said Calibo.

Competitive Advantage

DOT Secretary Joseph Ace Durano cited the Philippines competitive advantage over other countries in Asia who are already into medical and wellness tourism (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, etc.).

Durano said that compared to other countries in Asia or Latin America who are now engaged in medical tourism, the Philippines is the only one that can offer a complete health, wellness and retirement experience.

“We must look at the three different health and wellness clusters that the Philippines has today. First, there’s the Medical Tourism Cluster. These are composed of our modern, high-tech and world-class hospitals and medical centers, which are staffed by the most competent doctors and medical professionals. Second, there’s the Retirement Cluster. This cluster includes retirement villages, nursing homes, and hospitals. Third, there’s the Wellness Cluster which includes spas, holistic therapies, traditional Filipino massage and complimentary medicine. The Philippines is the only country that covers all three clusters of health and wellness,” said Durano.

Philippine Retirement Authority Chairman General Aglipay also expressed his full support for the Philippines medical tourism campaign, and emphasized the importance of the health and wellness components for the success of the PRA.

Aglipay said that three factors converging and fuelling an inevitable demand for retirement destinations: 1) A more positive attitude towards aging; 2) A “broken” structure of traditional care of the elderly; and 3) The lack of readiness in many countries for an increasingly elderly population.

Citing findings from an HSBC study, Aglipay said that in near future, there will be a bigger population of people who are 65 years old and above. Strikingly, there will be a lesser population of young people.

“Pension payments retirees in developed countries have become unsustainable. Retirees getting an average pension of $1, 000 - $1, 500 can no longer afford the cost of living in their own countries. That’s why retiring and retired nationals of these countries are seeking alternative & affordable retirement places,” Aglipay explained.

Complete Care – from the heart

Durano continued that the Philippines, with its relaxing and peaceful tropical paradise settings, its world class health care facilities; its wellness providers; and its cheerful, optimistic, kind and compassionate people make the Philippines the ideal wellness destination.

DOT Undersecretary Carrion concurred, explaining that the greatest and most distinctive offering the Philippines can give to the world in terms of health and wellness are the wonderful attributes of the Filipino themselves.

“The Philippines is home to the most competent, most compassionate, friendly, kind and caring people in the world. In other words, we do not take care of physical needs but emotional needs as well. And if you are recovering from illness or trying to escape the stresses of this world, what could be more helpful, more healing than the genuine love, care and concern extended to you by another human being?” Carrion said.

To register or learn more about ”Embracing Health and Wellness in the Heart of Asia,” call 437-7090 or 440-3354 or log on to www.philippinehealthandwellnesstourism.com.

Source: The Philippine Star

Routines that Reward

Exercising regularly, eating consistent portions, and staying on track--these simple actions can help benefit your blood sugar levels. Here's more guidance.

There's no one way for people with diabetes to live healthfully, which means it's an opportunity to create your own plan. "It's about coming up with routines that fit—not for the next two weeks, but for the rest of your life," says Martha Mitchell Funnell, RN, a certified diabetes educator at the Diabetes Research and Training Center at the University of Michigan. Here's what she suggests to find success.

Make it possible. If you decide to start exercising Monday and haven't set aside the time, then it probably won't happen. "Choose an activity that you like," says Funnell, "something that you can do—that's going to fit in with your life. Otherwise you may be setting yourself up to fail."

Ask these questions. On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is this activity to you? How confident are you about your success? "We know from studies that people who believe they can do something are more likely to be successful," says Funnell. "Putting those two things together—the importance and the confidence—is what gives you willpower."

Break it down. The recommendation for people with diabetes is about 150 minutes of exercise a week (roughly 30 minutes, five or six days weekly). Funnell suggests you break the activity into three 10-minute increments daily. Park and walk 10 minutes to work. Walk 10 minutes at lunch or break. Do 10 minutes of vigorous housework. Put the music on and dance or climb stairs for another 10 minutes.

Keep it steady. "Don't neglect to eat all day long, and then from 6 p.m. to midnight eat everything in the house," says Funnell. "Eat consistent, small meals throughout the day with the focus on managing blood glucose levels."

Get back on track. If life gets crazy or you splurge at a party, don't beat yourself up. Own your decision, pay attention to the consequences, and realize that you can start again tomorrow, knowing better what works for you. "A lot of people get defeated in this situation," says Funnell, "and that's the struggle—to acknowledge the decision and say, 'Today I'm going to make a different choice."

Beat the boredom. Be flexible with your routine. If after two months, you're tired of walking by yourself, find a friend for company, join a gym, or take part in a community-center program. If swimming was great for the summer but uncomfortable in the winter, shift to a dance class or yoga. The important thing is to know yourself and avoid boredom by keeping it fun.

Do it for yourself. Baby boomers are the generation that said, "We're not going to do what everybody else says we should do." That holds true for their independent approach to diet and exercise. "It's not about doing it for your doctor," says Funnell. "If you're not doing it for yourself, you're wasting your time. It really has to be what you want to do for you."

Heart Health: Is Chocolate a New Health Food?

Coverlines on the latest magazines proclaim that eating chocolate can actually do your body good. Could that be true?

Researchers now say that some chocolate can be good for your heart. The question is: Should you indulge your chocolate cravings or save the calories?

The Chocolate-Heart Connection
Chocolate is made from beans that contain plant chemicals called flavanols, which are antioxidants that may reduce blood platelet stickiness and blood clots, says Penny Kris-Etherton, PhD, RD, a professor of nutrition at Pennsylvania State University. One study led by Dr. Kris-Etherton found that those with a diet rich in cocoa powder and dark chocolate had lower oxidation levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and higher total levels of HDL (good ) cholesterol.

Wise Buys
Don't buy the chocolate farm just yet--the stuff is dense in calories and fat. If you eat a chocolate bar, you'll have to eat lean meats, fat-free dairy products, and eliminate all other sources of high-fat foods to help you stay within your calorie limit for the day, says Dr. Kris-Etherton. And not all chocolate is created equal when it comes to antioxidants. A recent study by the USDA's Agricultural Research Service found that chocolate with the most cocoa powder also had the most antioxidants. For the consumer, this means that pure cocoa gives the biggest boost. And dark chocolate has significantly more flavonoids--specifically proanthocyanidins--than milk chocolate. According to the Mayo Clinic, a bar of dark chocolate contains an average of 53.5 milligrams (mg) of flavonoids, while a milk chocolate candy bar has less than 14 mg. White chocolate doesn't have any.

The Bottom Line
The heart-health benefits of chocolate are still being explored, so it's too early to recommend consuming it for medicinal purposes. Instead, eat it because you enjoy it, but don't feel too guilty about it. Do watch your serving size, and work the calories into your daily allotment. Experiment with a bit of unsweetened cocoa powder in coffee, yogurt, cereal, and baking recipes. And don't forget your other options. Flavanol-rich foods include green and white teas, grapes, berries, apples, and red wine.

Eat Your Veggies!

By Bob Greene

Here's a simple fact: Vegetables are the best foods you can eat for weight loss and good health. Packed with water and fiber, which makes them extremely filling, veggies are one of the best sources of disease-fighting phytonutrients. Unfortunately, many people make the mistake of drowning their vegetables in fat (think of broccoli covered with melted cheese), turning a once low-calorie food into a calorie-bomb. You don't have to have your veggies plain, though. I think a lot of people have been turned off of vegetables because they think the nutritious nibbles lack flavor. And in some cases, they can be right. For instance, if all you've ever eaten are steamed veggies, you may think they're a bit bland. But there are so many easy ways to add flavor to veggies without adding calories or fat. Try these suggestions to enjoy the four-plus servings of veggies you should eat each day.

Get roasting. Roasting gives veggies a bit of sweetness and allows you to prepare them with little or no fat.

Break out the broth. Reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth is a great way to add more flavor to veggies. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, toss in chopped veggies and let them cook for two to three minutes. Pour in a cup or so of broth, cover the pan for one to two minutes, remove the lid and cook until the veggies are wilted or tender crisp.

Take a dip. Dip carrots, celery or red pepper sticks into a low-fat or nonfat ranch dressing.

Be adventurous. Each week, make it your goal to try one new vegetable, including jicama (sprinkle it with lime juice and chili powder); hearts of palm (this canned veggie is great sliced into salads); beets (delicious roasted); celery root (good cooked and pureed); and radishes (they add a nice crunch to salads)...

Consumer Alert: Don't pass the salt...

Cutting back on sodium is a good idea if you have hypertension.
And even if you don't.

By Christine Gorman

Doctors have long known that cutting back on salt or sodium can help lower blood pressure in folks with hypertension, a silent condition that increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. What hasn't been so clear is whether reducing the amount of sodium in diet will benefit those whose blood pressure is normal. Now comes word that restricting salt can indeed lower normal blood pressure levels according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The decrease in blood pressure occurred regardless of race and gender and whether or not study participants ate a "typical American diet," which is high in saturated fats and skimps on fruits and vegetables, or the so-called DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, which emphasizes lots of fresh produce, low fat dairy, fish and fewer sweets and which was proven in 1997 to reduce hypertension. The biggest decreases in blood pressure in this study were recorded in subjects who ate the DASH diet and reduced their sodium intake to 1, 200 mg a day.

Why is this significant? Public health experts estimate that Americans consume, on average, about 3, 500 mg of sodium - equal to about 9 grams of salt - each day. Current guidelines recommend consuming no more than 2, 300 mg of sodium - about 6 grams of salt - daily. It's now that we're that heavy-handed with the salt shaker. Most of our dietary sodium is added during food processing. To get down to 1, 200 mg, you'd have to forgo most prepared foods, take out deliveries and restaurant meals.

For people who periodically come home late from work too pooped to do anything but dial up some sodium-packed fast food, eating home-cooked meals all the time is not terribly practical. But with a little planning and some self-awareness, you can work around those occasional slips. Salt is, after all, essential to life. The trick is adopt an overall pattern of healthy living and not depend on any one thing to make up for bad habits.

So pay attention to how much salt you're eating, but don't forget to make fruits, vegetables and whole grains a larger part of your diet. They'll help lower your cholesterol levels as well as your blood pressure. Be sure to drink alcohol moderately, if at all. Losing weight - even just 4.5 kg - and exercising at least 30n minutes most days of the week can also have a marked effect on blood pressure.

Folks with kidney problems should check with their doctors before cutting back on salt. If you do decide to cut down on salt, do it gradually to give your taste buds time to adjust. Try substituting lemon, parsley, pepper or oregano for salt.

Check food labels. Pasta sauces, canned meat goods, and frozen dinners often contain lots of sodium.

And remember, even if you don't have to worry about this now, you probably will eventually. Blood pressure usually increases with age. "We can't put everyone on drug therapy," says Dr. Frank Sacks pf the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and the chairman of the DASH-sodium study. But everyone can try to do with a dash less salt.

Healing Foods: Mushroom Power

Strengthen your Immune System

With Medicinal Mushrooms

There’s a mystique surrounding mushrooms and the 100, 000 other species of fungi. Eat the wrong wild mushroom, and it can lead to dreadful results. Eat the right variety, and it could boost your immune system and keep you healthy through cold and flu season. Mushrooms have even been found to stop the progression of cancer and HIV.

Clearly, these plants do more than add flavor and texture to foods. Long respected in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), more than a dozen varieties of mushrooms are potent immune stimulants that have been used in Asia for more than 3, 000 years.

Perhaps the growing recognition of TCM is another reason why mushrooms with strange-sounding names like shitake, maitake, and reishi are finding their way onto the supplement shelves of health-food stores. Also look for fresh and dried shitakes in the produce and spice sections

Shitake (lentinus edodes)

Shitake has been the subject of considerable research of late due to its impressive health-promoting properties. Its main active phytonutrient components include eritadenine, polysaccharides and lignins.

Potential Health Applications of Shitake

• Immune-enhancing
• Cholesterol lowering
• General cardiovascular benefits
• Anti-parasitic
• Anti-bacterial
• Anti-viral
• Cell protective
• Liver protective

Reishi (ganoderma lucidum)

Reishi mushrooms are very rich in the health promoting phytonutrients such as polysaccharides, triterpenes and phytosterols.

Potential Health Applications of Reishi

• Immune-enhancing
• Liver protective
• Cholesterol lowering
• Anti-bacterial
• Cell protective
• Anti-allergic
• Protective against radiation
• Anti-hypertensive

Maitake (grifola frondosa)

Maitake is yet another mushroom with an impressive research record in studies which have assessed its potential health benefits. Its main active phytonutrient compounds are polysaccharides such as alpha-glucans and beta-glucans.

Potential Health Applications of Maitake

• Immune-enhancing
• Cell protective
• Anti-hypertensive
• Liver protective

Contraindications : None noted…

Weight Loss: Burn the Fat, Keep it Off

We often discuss ways to burn off excess fat and calories, but what we do to take off weight is only a small part of the equation – keeping it off needs just as much attention, probably more.

Why can’t we keep it off?

Here’s my belief: When we desperately want to lose weight we engage in activities that are too darn difficult to maintain. For example, we drastically reduce our caloric intake – eat too much less – or too differently - to be able to keep doing it for very long.

We start an exercise program that is too demanding – too physically tough, takes too much time, is too expensive - to keep up for very long. Soon we just stop doing them. Then, very often, because we cannot maintain the program that we set up, we have a backlash. We punish ourselves emotionally and physically by overeating, not exercising at all, and basically giving up.

Then, a few weeks or months or years later, we become desperate to lose weight again, and we start another, "too difficult" plan to take the weight off, and once again it fails. This cycle goes on and on for so many people.

How do we stop this (try to lose weight/give up) cycle?

Here’s what I suggest:
1. Take a good hard look at your past attempts and assess what is realistic and what is just too unlikely for you to sustain?

2. Don’t be hard on yourself about the past, it’s done, it’s gone, it’s over, but useful for informing the future.

3. Accept the fact that work is involved. You are going to have to change your ways, give up some things, adjust, adapt, and accept that a new way of eating and a new level of activity will take a concerted and focused and deliberate effort.

4. Be your own champion. Give yourself realistic goals and build yourself a support system, but remember that you and only you can make this happen; you must champion the change.

5. Don’t let a lapse, or setback, in your new plan become a relapse or ending to something that you have started. There will be mistakes, missed workouts and unplanned meal experiences but that is all part of the program when you are doing something for the long haul. Being able to stick with it means allowing for lapses.

6. No more "if – thens." If I lose weight, then I will buy a new outfit/look for a new job/start dating – no. Your life is in session now; so don’t act as if it will begin when you lose the weight. Getting yourself to engage and take action in all areas of your life will help you champion your own fitness/weight loss program to success.

I know you can do this if you start off with a realistic idea of what your plan should and shouldn’t look like (#1). If you are kind to yourself (#2) you’ll be more likely to keep going when the going gets tough (and when your plan doesn’t look exactly like you thought it would).

Your desire to change must be matched by an effortful willingness to change (#3), and you’d do well to invite other caring individuals into your plan (#4) while you remember that your opinion (and decision) is really the one that matters. Progress moves forward and back (#5) and now is the time (#6) to make your commitment to not just lose weight but live healthfully from here on out.

by Debbie Rocker

Health Line: How We Age???

The exact point at which the decline into advance aging begins is different for everybody. But without anti-aging intervention – a regimen of lifestyle change, diet, and supplements – here is what you can expect to happen to your fifty-year-old body.

But first, what do we mean by “age”?

We all know to age means to grow older in years. But to a biologist, a measurement of aging based on your birth date is not very useful. After all, we all know of people who look ten years younger (or older) than their actual chronological age would indicate. Aging is a physiological process that at times is only remotely connected to chronological age.

While the seeds of advance aging can be sown at any age, generally speaking the most noticeable changes take place between the ages of 40 and 50. Most physiological functions peak in the twenties, ride a plateau in the thirties, and begin to take a sharp descent in the forties. Various internal biological mechanisms function in synchrony until the onset of the middle age when they begin their downward march in lockstep.

Brain: The brain shrinks 6 percent in size, resulting in a loss of cognitive abilities. Forgetfulness increased, and it is more difficult to process simultaneous streams of information. The decline is offset somewhat by a greater accumulation of knowledge and experience which philosophers call wisdom.

Vision: Farsightedness among our aging baby boomer population made designer eye glasses fashionable in the eighties. The loss of elasticity in the eye’s lens make it difficult to focus on nearby objects. Older eyes are also slower to adjust to darkness (as the pupils have a decreased capacity to dilate) from a loss of the rods-photoreceptors in the retina. Color perception starts to decline after you hit forty 9especially for the yellow-blue color spectrum because the clear lens not only thickens but becomes more yellowish in color).

Hearing: While it is unusual for a fifty-year-old to wear a hearing aid, audiologist fear a tidal wave of advanced hearing impairment among the baby boomers because of their predilection in earlier years for very loud music. Usually sensitivity to the higher tones is lost first.

Smell and Taste: These two senses are inextricably linked. Taste buds and olfactory receptors lose sensitivity, which is a primary reason that older people enjoy food less (and eat less). Zinc deficiency of the elderly also contributes to a diminution in taste. Pollution and Smoking are two environmental factors thought to accelerate the aging of these senses.

Skin: How fast you wrinkle depends on a host of factors including genetics, nutrition and environment. But the skin begins losing its elasticity in the twenties as collagen decreases. By fifty, thinning outer layers of skin cause it to sag. Sun damage and clumping of melanocyte (pigment) cells produce all kinds of brown blotches, the so called liver spots, and abnormal growths.

Hair: Fifty percent of men have some balding by age fifty, and half of all men and women of European descent will have at least some gray hair. (The onset of graying appears a decade later in non-Europeans.)

Fat and Muscle: The ratio of muscle to fat begins its decline around thirty, with deposits of fat tissue peaking around fifty. More fat accumulates in and around the bell, buttocks and thighs. The abdomen begins to sag because of lost muscle tone. Maximum grip strength drops from one hundred pounds at age thirty to about seventy-five pounds. While weight may stabilize a age fifty, the muscle to fat ratio continues to decrease well into the eighties.

Bones: Progressive loss of mineral content and density, notably calcium, results in increasingly brittle bones. The decline in women after the onset of menopause is about twice as fast as in men. Not only are bones easier to break, but they are also harder to repair.

Urinary Tract: The kidneys begin to shrink in size and function at thirty, steadily losing the ability to remove waste products from the blood. The bladder, which collects the urine sent from the kidneys, loses its elasticity, which means less capacity and more trips to the bathroom.

Sex: Women experience menopause around fifty when their estrogen levels rapidly drop and ovulation ends. Men have a less pronounced sex hormonal decline, with testosterone concentrations diminishing gradually from the thirties. Intercourse for women can be painful as vaginal walls become thin and lubrication decreases. Sperm count in men dramatically decreases around fifty as tissues within the testes begin to thicken. It also takes about twice as much time to get an erection than at age twenty-five.

Heart: By age fifty the heart will have beat about 2 billion times. The heart muscle begins to enlarge to pump more blood to compensate for stiffening arteries. But the covering sheath around the heart thickens with age, leading to an overall decrease in output. This reduced output results in a decline in the supply of oxygen to muscle tissue, decreasing aerobic power and making it more tiring to climb stairs or walk up a hill.

Lungs: As lungs lose their elasticity, the capacity to breathe declines 20 percent by age fifty. Smokers, as you might guess, lose their lung function much earlier.

Source: Excerpts from the book Age Right by Karlis Ullis, M. D.

Vital Finds: The Herb - Drug Mix

Deciding what's safe...

By Robert Rountree, M. D. co-author of Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child

Millions of people regularly take blood-thinning drugs such as warfarin, and even more take aspirin and similar medications to prevent heart attacks and strokes. At the same time, with the use of herbal medicines more popular now than ever, surveys, show that most people don't tell their physician about their use of herbs or vitamin supplements.

How do herbs & Blood thinners mix?

Herbs may interact with the blood thinning drugs in different ways, some of them beneficial, some of them potentially harmful.

Herbs that enhance the effect of anticoagulants may have antiplatelet activity, meaning that they keep platelets from forming clots, or anticoagulant activity, meaning that they increase the time it takes a clot to form, usually because they contain a compound called coumarin.

Other herbs may counteract the effect of anticoagulants by decreasing blood-clotting time, most likely because they contain a coagulant called berberine.


Herbs with Anticoagulant Activity
Chamomile, Dong Quai, Horse chestnut

Herb as Coagulants (blood thickeners)
Goldenseal, Oregon grape root, Shepherd's purse

Herbs with Antiplatelet Activity
Bilberry, Bromelain, Cayenne, Feverfew, Flaxseed oil, Garlic, Ginger, Ginkgo Biloba, Ginseng, Green Tea, Meadowsweet, Motherwort and Turmeric



Meanwhile, physicians are starting to realize that many herbs posses potent pharmacological activity. Concerns have been raised in prominent medical journals that this activity could have detrimental effects, especially for patients taking certain types of medication. Cautious physicians have chosen the route of absolute avoidance - rather than risk an adverse reaction, they recommend that patients stop taking herbs altogether.

Is this rational policy? Or is there another approach somewhere in between? To better answer these questions, let's look more closely at how anticoagulants, or blood thinners, work in the body.

Blood Thickening and Thinning

Warfarin is the most commonly prescribed anticoagulant drug. Doctors typically give anticoagulant to people with high risk of blood clotting, such as those who have artificial heart valves, deep vein thrombosis (a large blood clot) in the legs, or arterial fibrillation (a chronic irregularity in heart rhythm).

The process by which blood thickens into a clot involves a chain reaction: Various proteins interact to produce thrombin, which then produces fibrin, the protein material the forms the clot's core. Several of these interacting proteins are made in the liver, where vitamin K ( from the Danish koagulation) is essential for their production.

Warfarin inactivates vitamin K to limit clotting proteins, so it increases the amount of time it takes for blood to clot. This effect can be monitored with a simple blood test called the prothrombin time (PT).

Vitamin K is found in high concentrations in many foods, including dark green leafy vegetables (especially turnip greens), alfalfa sprouts, broccoli, asparagus, egg yolks, and dairy products. Eating these foods increases the potential for higher blood levels of vitamin K, which would interfere with the anticoagulants. A few herbs also promote clotting, most notably shepherd's purse, possibly because it contains vitamin K.

Another aspect of blood clotting involves the clumping together of platelets. The combination of platelet clumps and the fibrin clot is what causes blood to thicken into full-blown clots. Platelet function can be measured in most doctor's offices with a test called the bleeding time. Many antiplatelets agents (which keep platelets from sticking together) are commonly used in medical practice, primarily to prevent strokes and heart attacks.

Aspirin is the most common antiplatelet agent; others include dipyridamole (Persantine), sulfinpyrazone (Anturane), clopidogrel (Plavix), and ticlodipine (Ticlic). Many herbs also inhibit platelet aggregation. Undoubtedly this list will expand with further research.



If using anticoagulants has slowed a person's normal clotting mechanism, good platelet function is obviously an important backup system. Otherwise, a minor injury could lead to a severe hemorrhage. Or, if you're taking antiplatelet drugs everyday, the addition of ginkgo or one of the herbs listed in the first two sections of the chart above could lead to uncontrolled bleeding.

Deciding what's Safe

So what is an informed person to do? Well, there are several options, depending on the degree of effort one is willing to put out. As a start, I propose the following step-by-step method.

• If your doctor starts you on anticoagulant medication and your diet already includes vegetables rich in vitamin K (or a multivitamin that includes vitamin K), it's not necessary to make any dietary changes. Instead allow your doctor to adjust the dose of medication based on the PT test. In this situation, it's more important that your diet remain constant without any sudden changes. If you do need to make changes, inform your doctor so that the PT can be checked right away.

• While you're taking anticoagulants, avoid regular use of concentrated, standardized extracts of herbs that are known to have antiplatelet activity, such as ginkgo, which is commonly sold as 50:1 concentrate. While a daily cup of ginkgo tea or dropperful of tincture is unlikely to cause problems, the extract is much more potent. The same rationale applies to concentrated forms of any of the antiplatelet herbs, although it's probably safe to eat fresh ginger or garlic in food or to have a cup or two of green tea every day.

• If you feel that it's essential to your health to continue taking any of the anticoagulant / antiplatelet herbs listed in the chart below along with the prescription, there's another option. Ask your doctor if he or she would be willing to monitor your bleeding time stays in the normal range, you're less likely to have an unexpected hemorrhage.

• If you're generally healthy and taking an antiplalelet drug such as aspirin for preventive purposes, you may want to try switching to ginkgo, which has many benefits. And consider that deep-sea fish oils (salmon, cold) have many of the same positive effect as aspirin, without the risks.

Thoughtful Research

Given the increasingly large number of people taking complex mixtures of herbs, vitamins, and drugs, it's probable that we will see more reports of side effects and negative interactions. Some authorities are using these incidents to discourage the public from taking herbs. But rather than turning back the clock on herbal medicine, I propose learning from these examples and upgrading our database of medical information.

Source: Herbs for Health magazine

Nutrition Bits: How foods fight cancer...

On my first blog entry, I will share Nutrition Bits about cancer, well, this subject is very complex and there is still some debate going on in the medical world. So, I will just focus on how the foods that we eat can help fight cancer.

Cancer is one of the leading cause of death in the world.

The growth of a malignant tumor is a long and slow process that involves three key steps:

• the initiation of potentially cancerous changes in a cell's DNA
• the promotion of uncontrolled growth in a damaged cell, and
• the progression of a cancerous lesion in a mass that can invade other tissue

Preliminary evidence suggest the nutrients found in particular foods can interfere with each of these steps.

Step 1: Initiation

A) Cancer risk: The processing of oxygen produces toxic agents called free radicals, which can damage a cell's DNA.

Food tip: Antioxidants such as the polyphenols in green tea and the lycopene in tomatoes, help neutralize free radicals. Vitamic C, E and beta carotine are also good anti oxidants.

Tomatoes may help neutralize toxic agents that damage DNA.

B) Cancer risk: Most cancer-causing chemicals enter the body as pro-carcinogens. In order to become full-fledge carcinogens, capable of damaging cellular DNA, they must be first broken down by phase I enzymes produced in the liver.

Food tip: Garlic contains chemicals called allyl sulfides, which helps limit the production of phase I enzymes. In addition to phase I enzymes, the liver produces phase II enzymes to cart of the dangerous residue phase I's leave behind. Broccoli, cauliflower, and other cruciferous vegetables are rich in a chemical called sulforaphane, which boast production of phase II enzymes.

Garlic helps limit the production of cancer-causing chemicals.

Broccoli, contains chemicals that remove carcinogens from cells.

Step 2: Promotion

A) Cancer Risk: If the first time defenses fail and cell undergoes potentially cancerous changes, the body's best defense is to destroy it or, barring that, keep it from dividing rapidly. The omega-6 fatty acids that abound in corn oil and safflower oil seem to promote rapid cell division.

Food tip: The omega-3 fatty acid in flax and fatty fish may thwart tumor growth by crowding other fats out of cells.

Flaxseed may lock bad fats out of cells.

B) Cancer Risk: Reproductive tissues are particularly cancer-prone because they divide rapidly when triggered by the body's own sex hormones. Estrogen promotes fast growth of breast cells in women.

Food tip: Soy products contain chemicals called isoflavones, which act as weak estrogens and leave less room for strong ones.

Step 3: Progression

Cancer risk: If all other defenses fail and a damaged cell spawns a tumor, the question is whether is will build itself a blood supply and invade surrounding tissues. Tumor cells release growth factors the promote the development of new blood vessels, the process known as angiogenesis.

Food tip: So called cox-2 inhibitors, such as the resveratrol in red grapes and the curcumin in turmeric, may suppress the tumor's production of growth factors.

Red grapes may inhibit blood-vessel growth.

Welcome to Healthy Digest

This blog will digest and track all the medical and nutrition journals, research and newsletters. And then summarize what is essential for you to know to get better and stay healthy. This Health News Digest is in no way intended to replace the knowledge and/or diagnosis of health care professionals. Always consult your physician whenever a health problem arises requiring an expert's care...